Charges You Could Face for Allowing Minors Access to Guns in New Jersey
In New Jersey, it is illegal for individuals under the age of 18 to purchase long guns and people under the age of 21 to purchase handguns. These New Jersey-specific age limits are even stricter than federal law. It is also a crime under New Jersey law to allow a minor to have access to a gun.
Under New Jersey Statute 2C:58-15: “A person who knows or reasonably should know that a minor is likely to gain access to a loaded firearm at a premises under the person's control commits a disorderly persons offense if a minor gains access to the firearm, unless the person: (1) Stores the firearm in a securely locked box or container; (2) Stores the firearm in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure; or (3) Secures the firearm with a trigger lock.”
While it is crucial to keep weapons out of the hands of children, it is also important that gun owners are not wrongfully charged with making their weapons available to a minor. It is possible for a child to figure out where a gun is locked up and to figure out how to access it without the gun owner's knowledge. All gun owners would be well-advised to make sure their weapon is secure at all times because the fines for violating New Jersey gun laws can be severe. Disorderly persons charges often come with heavy fines and the potential for jail time.
The experienced Princeton weapons violation lawyers at Lependorf & Silverstein fight hard to protect and defend the civil rights of New Jersey residents. If you have been wrongfully charged with violating a weapons law in New Jersey, call our law offices at 609-240-0040 right away to discuss your case.
